1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to test methods for electronic signal transceivers, in a particular, to test methods for testing digital signal transceivers that communicate via data packets.
2. Related Art
When performing manufacturing tests of digital signal transceivers, it is often necessary to create dedicated manufacturing test software drivers. Such drivers maybe independent and dedicated to testing the Device Under Test (DUT), or maybe supplemental functions that are added to the normal software driver included and used in the final product. Such drivers typically provide special functions necessary to achieve special test modes to ensure comprehensive testing of the final product. Such test modes are sometimes developed early in the design process to assist the chip designers in accessing and testing the device during the early development phase. However, if these drivers are also used during manufacturing test, they often result in a less optimal implementation for mass production.
One method that has proven to provide significant improvements in manufacturing test times is the use of testing with multiple data packets. Such methods are described in the following U.S. patent applications, the disclosure of each hereby incorporated herein by reference: U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/161,692, filed Aug. 12, 2005 (now U.S. Pat. No. 7,564,896 issued Jul. 21, 2009), and entitled “Method For Measuring Multiple Parameters Of A Signal Transmitted By A Signal Generator”; co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/766,282, filed Jun. 21, 2007, and entitled “System And Method For Testing Wireless Devices”; and co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/839,814, filed Aug. 16, 2007, and entitled “System For Testing An Embedded Wireless Transceiver”. However, providing the capability to perform testing with multiple data packets often requires incorporation of functions within the manufacturing software driver which are not otherwise part of the production chip development, i.e., these additional functions are not necessary to normal chip operation, but must be added to the software driver to support the manufacturing testing with multiple data packets.
In some instances, adding the necessary functions for performing such manufacturing tests can be problematic, since the software must sometimes be written in a manner that makes it difficult to get the DUT to perform the desired functions without significant additional software overhead, and sometimes even hardware overhead in the form of additional programmable interconnects within the integrated circuitry, both of which can reduce the effectiveness of testing with multiple data packets, as well as adversely affect normal operation later.
Further, in some cases it may not be possible to identify all requirements on the part of the DUT during testing when developing the test software. Accordingly, multiple iterations of the software or, alternatively, unnecessary “over design” of the functionality of the software results.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to achieve the benefits provided by testing with multiple data packets, while avoiding these limitations and disadvantages.